Managing the consumption of resources usually requires making performance tradeoffs between conflicting goals. A user of systems that mediate performance tradeoffs typically must consider multiple types of performance related data from multiple sources of information. Often the performance data from these sources of information are represented in separate information displays or gauges that the user must somehow integrate.
The speedometer (or tachometer) and fuel consumption displays in an automobile are example information displays that display different but related types of performance data. Many modern cars have a fuel consumption indicator in addition to the speedometer (and/or tachometer), which may be represented using digital readouts, gauges, or bar graphs.
One problem with conventional information displays is that different types of performance related data, such as speed and fuel consumption, are presented separately, either in different gauges or using different indicators within the same gauge. To view information on each type of data, the user must take his/her eyes off the road to fixate on each separate display and/or indicators and then expend attentional and cognitive resources to integrate the data. All of this detracts from the user's ability to safely operate the vehicle without risk of collision.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved method and system for displaying different types of performance-related data.